Flared container cap



Dec. 29, 1964 w. R. FRANK FLARED CONTAINER CAP Filed Au 17, 1962 ofFIGURE 9;" and United States Patent C) 3,163,318. FLARED CONTAINER CAP Walter R. Frank, Elmhnrst, IIL, assignor to W. R. Frank PackagingEngineers, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 17, 1962, Ser. No.217,615 Claims. (61. 2206ti) This invention relates to a cap for acontainer, and more particularly to a flared cap that preferably may besnapped on and oil the container with which it is used.

Containers such as those used for aerosol preparations require caps thatare easily removed and replaced before and after discharge of any partof the contents of the container. A cap adapted to form a snap fit withthe container is the type that is most quickly and easily removed andreplaced. Such a cap with an upwardly and outwardly flaring side wall isboth attractive in appearance and easy to grasp.

Another essential characteristic of caps for use with containers thatare discarded after their contents have been exhausted is obviouslyeconomy of production. Thus, injection molding of plastic caps iscommonly employed for production of such caps.

The production of an integral plastic cap having an upward and outwardflare in its side wall requires, however, either that an extensive andcomplicated mold be employed to produce a side wall of substantiallyuniform thickness, or alternatively that a core mold of uniform crosssection be used, which results in a side wall of much greater thicknessat the top than at the bottom thereof. The latter type of flared cap isnot only more expensive FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary cross sectional viewof another embodiment of the container cap of this invention.

In FIGURE 1, container is a conventional can in which an aerosolpreparation is stored. The can terminates in an aerosol valve at itstop. The valve is omitted here for clarity of understanding.

Cap 21 is one embodiment of the container cap of this invention. Asshown, it has an outwardly and upwardly flared side wall, which providesan attractive appearance and makes the cap easy to grasp for removal andreplacebecause of the extra material required for the moldingof its sidewalls, but also is of inferior quality because of cracking and otherproblems introduced during the cooling of any wall having such a markedvariation in its thickness. v

The present invention provides a flared, snap fit container cap that canbe easily and quickly molded with a simple, inexpensive mold and withuse of a minimum of plastic material. Although it flares upwardly andoutwardly the side wall-of the cap has a substantially uniformthickness. The top member of the cap forms a snap fit with a groovewhich runs around the top of the interior of the side wall, or with theouter surface of the upper por tion of the side wall. The side wallcarries means for securing the cap to the container, preferably by asnap fit.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sideelevation of a container with the container FIGURE 4is a side elevation of one form of the top member of the container capof this invention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentaryshowing of the cross sectional viewof FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the top member of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary showing of a portion of the crosssectional view of FIGURE 3, with the container cap in place upon acontainer;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom plan view of the container cap of FIGURE 2; a

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of a portion of a container and anotherembodiment of the container cap of this invention;

FIGURE 10 is a cross sectional view of the container cap of FIGURE 9shown in place upon the container;

FIGURE 11- is a bottom plan view of the container cap ment.

'URE 2. 7

FIGURE 3 shows three other features of container cap 21. Groove 23 isprovided around the top of in terior'24 of upwardly and outwardly flaredside wall 22. Top member 25 is adapted to form a snap fit with groove23.

In the embodiment shown, top member 25 has a dished shape by reason ofupwardly and outwardly flaring annular flange 26, terminating in asecond flange 27 at its outer periphery. Top member 25 is receivedsecurely in groove 23 at its outer periphery.

Downward pressure upon flange 26 and its outer periphery 27 will tend tocause the dished-top member to Cap 21 is shown in an enlarged view inFIG- become slightly smaller in overall dimensions; by the,

same token, pressure in the upward direction will tend to cause topmember 25 to become slightly larger in overall dimensions. Thus,theupward and outward flare at 26 makes insertion of top 25 in the groove23 easier, and at the same time makes any. removal of top member 25,whether accidental or deliberate,.more difiicult.

The construction of top member 25 is also seen from the side elevationview given i'n'FIGURE 4. The snap fit between top member 25 and sidewall 22 of'container' cap 21 is best seen in the enlarged fragmentaryview of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 6 gives a top plan view of top member 25 7 when snapped in placein groove 23 of side wall '22. Ridges 30, shown in this figure and inFIGURE 3 as disposed in a regular pattern upon the top of member 25,

have both an appearance and a structural purpose. The

pattern adds interest to the appearance of the cap, and the'ridgesprovide some additional strength.

If desired, groove 23 may be replaced by a pluralityof overhangingbeads, which will perform the same .function of receiving the outerperipheryot top member 25. I

The two-piece construction provides marked advantages if the containercap is to be formed of plastic by the method of injection molding. Thus,a mold having a single core member may be employed, withjthe core beingwithdrawn through the opening in the wide flared top of side wall 22.Obviously, if the container cap were integrally constructed, a verycomplicated core member would have to be employed in order to get asubstam tially uniform side wall, as it would then, have to be withdrawn after molding through the smaller bottom of side wall 22.

As an alternative to this, the upper portion of flared side wall 22could be. made thicker thanfthe lower portion, in order that a moldingcore of uniformcross sec-- tion could be employed. This would resultkindiflicult: problems of cracking and uneven cure in thesidewall ofopening at the. y

. J the cap. The present invention avoids this difliculty, and alsoprovides a cap which gives the impression of much larger size atconsiderably lower cost because of the savings in material that it makespossible.

If flared side wall 22 of container cap 21 is to be made of met-a1, itwould be diflicult to make the cap of one piece construction by drawinga piece of sheet metal down into a shape. having a restricted bottomopening. However, with the two-piece container cap of this invention, itwould be relatively easy to make the side wall 22 separately by drawinga piece of sheet metal into a shape which has an opening of larger crosssection than its closed end, and then clipping off the closed end andturning the thus formed piece over to position the wide flared openingat the top; 7

Turning again to FIGURE 3, internally extending flange 31 at thebottom'of side wall 22 and internally extending protuberances 32 spacedabove flange 31 in effect form between them a groove which is adapted toforma snap fit with the rim of the mounting cupv of the aerosolcontainer. This is seen more clearly in FIGURE 7, where flange 31 andprotuberances 32 span mounting cup 33 of aerosol container 20. Flange 31and protnberances 32 are seen in bottom plan view in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 9 shows-another embodiment of the container cap ofthisinvention.In this embodiment, container cap 41 hasa side w'all42 that risesvertically for a distance from the bottom of the cap, and then flaresupwardly and outwardly at curved portion 43;

Cap 41 is seen in section in FIGURE 10, where it is in place uponmounting cup 44 of aerosol container 20.-

Asis shown, cap 41 is held in place upon mounting cup44 by a frictionfit between the rim of the mounting cup and internally-projectingprotuberances 45. Protuberances 45 are seen in bottom plan view i nFIGURE 11. i

Top member .46 of container cap 41 is provided with upwardly andoutwardly extending flange 47, which forms a snap fit with groove 48. inthe upper portion of the in-" terior of side wall 42, 43. 7

FIGURE 12 gives a fragmentary cross sectional view of another embodiment50 of the container cap of this invention, in which the outer surface'of the upper portion of side wall 51 and re-entrant flange 52 of topmember 53 form a snap fit. p

Embodiments 41' and 50 of the container cap of this invention will beseen to have the same advantages that accrue, asalre-adyexplainedabove,to embodiment 21.

The above detailed description of this invention has been given forclearness of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations should beunderstood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to one skilled inthe art.

Iclaim: V i

1. A two-piece container cap which comprises: (1) an outwardly andupwardly flared side wall, said side wall being of substantially uniformthickness throughout; (2) a top member forming a snap fit with the upperportion of said wall; and (3) means carried by said side wall forsecuring the cap to the container with which. it is used.

2. A two-piece container cap which comprises: (1) an outwardly andupwardly flared side wall, said side wall defining a groove around theinterior thereof spaced from the extreme top of the side wall, said sidewall being of substantially uniform thickness throughout; (2) a topmember forming a snap fit with said groove; and (3) means carried bysaid side wall for securing the cap to the container with which it isused.

3. A two-piece container cap which comprises: (1) an outwardly andupwardly flared side I wall defining a groove around the interiorthereof spaced from the extreme top of the side wall, said side wallbeing of substantially uniform thickness throughout; (2) a top memberhaving an outwardly and upwardly extending flange at its periphery, saidflange forming a snap fit with said groove; and (3) means carried bysaid side wall for securing the cap to the container with which it isused.

4. A two-piece container cap which comprises: (1) an outwardly andupwardly flared side wall, said side wall being of substantially uniformthickness throughout; (2) a top member forming a snap fit with the outersurface of the upper portion of said wall; and (3) means carried by saidside wall for securing the cap to the container with which it is used.

5. A two-piece container cap which comprises: an outwardly and upwardlyflared side wall defining a groove around the interior thereof spacedfrom the extreme top of the side wall, said side wall being ofsubstantially uniform thickness throughout; a top member having anoutwardly and upwardly extending flange at its periphery,

said flange forming a snap fit with said groove; and inwardlyprojecting-'protuberances at the bottom of said side wall for securingthe cap to the container with which it is used.

Referenres Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON,Primary Examiner. EARLE I. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

1. A TWO-PIECE CONTAINER CAP WHICH COMPRISES: (1) AN OUTWARDLY ANDUPWARDLY FLARED SIDE WALL, SAID SIDE WALL BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMTHICKNESS THROUGHOUT; (2) A TOP MEMBER FORMING A SNAP FIT WITH THE UPPERPORTION